A patient has completed the full course of treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia and has failed to respond appreciably. When preparing for the patient's subsequent care, the nurse should perform what action?
A) Arrange a meeting between the patient's family and the hospital chaplain.
B) Assess the factors underlying the patient's failure to adhere to the treatment regimen.
C) Encourage the patient to vigorously pursue complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
D) Identify the patient's specific wishes around end-of-life care.
Ans: D
Feedback:
Should the patient not respond to therapy, it is important to identify and respect the patient's choices about treatment, including measures to prolong life and other end-of-life measures. The patient may or may not be open to pursuing CAM. Unsuccessful treatment is not necessarily the result of failure to adhere to the treatment plan. Assessment should precede meetings with a chaplain, which may or may not be beneficial to the patient and congruent with the family's belief system.
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